Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Cancer Progression and Cancer Therapy

The tumor microenvironmenthas become a very important and hot topic in cancer research within the past few years. The tumor microenvironment is defined as the normal cells, molecules, and blood vessels that surround and feed a tumor cell. As many scientists have realized, studying the tumor microenvironment has become critical tomoving the field forward, since there are many players in a tumors localized and surrounding area, which can significantly change cancer cell behavior. There is a dual relationship wherein the tumor can change its microenvironment and the microenvironment can affect how a tumor grows and spreads. Tumor Microenvironment in Cancer Progression and Cancer Therapyaims to shed light on the mechanisms, factors, and mediators that are involved in thecancer cell environment. Recent studies have demonstrated that in addition to promoting tumor progression and protecting tumor cells from the spontaneous immune-mediated rejection and different forms of cancer therapeutics, tumor microenvironment can also be a target and mediator of both standard and newly-emerging forms of cancer therapeutics. Thus, thedualroleof the tumor microenvironment is theintegral focus of the volume. The volume highlights the bi-directional interactions between tumor cells and non-malignant tumor component during tumor progression and treatment. Italso focuses on the three groups of the reactive tumor component: stromal cells, blood vessels and the infiltrating immune cells. These three groupsarediscussed under the lens oftheirrolein promoting tumor growth,shielding the tumor fromrejection and from standard forms of cancer therapies.They are emergingas targets and mediators of standard and new forms of potential therapy.